Method and apparatus for dispensing beverages, especially carbonated beverages

ABSTRACT

Container unit for beverage, comprising a beverage container with a body and a neck portion, wherein at least the body portion forms a first compartment for beverage, wherein a pressure control device is provided, preferably at least partly in the beverage container, for pressurising a beverage in the beverage container, which pressure control device comprises a gas container forming a second compartment for containing a propellant under pressure, wherein a dispensing unit is provided in and/or on the neck portion and the gas container is supported by the neck portion and/or the dispensing unit, wherein pressure regulating means are provided in the dispensing unit.

The invention relates to a dispensing unit and a method for dispensing aliquid under pressure.

The document EP 1064221 discloses a device for dispensing a liquid,wherein the device comprises a container having a first compartment, anda second compartment, the first compartment being arranged for receivingthe liquid to be dispensed, and the second compartment being arrangedfor receiving a propellant gas, wherein, at least during use, an openingis provided between the first and the second compartment. The devicefurther comprises a pressure control means arranged for controlling,during use, the pressure of the propellant gas flowing from the secondcompartment into the first compartment. The pressure control means areprovided within the first compartment.

An object of the present invention is to provide for a container unit inan alternative manner. Another object is to provide a container unit inwhich a pressure control device can easily be provided for, especiallyeasily be mounted.

A still further object of the present invention is to provided for adispensing unit that can easily be mounted to a beverage container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a method forforming and/or filling a beverage container, especially a selfpressurising beverage container.

In a first aspect a container unit according to the present disclosurecan comprise a beverage container with a body and a neck portion,wherein at least the body portion forms a first compartment forbeverage. A pressure control device is provided, for pressurising abeverage in the beverage container, which pressure control devicecomprises a gas container forming a second compartment for containing apropellant under pressure. A dispensing unit is provided in and/or onthe neck portion and the gas container is supported by the neck portionand/or the dispensing unit, wherein pressure regulating means areprovided in the dispensing unit. The gas container preferably extends atleast partly in the beverage container, preferably suspended in the neckportion of the container.

In a second aspect a dispensing unit for a beverage container accordingto the disclosure comprises a pressure regulating means and dispensingmeans. At a first side of the dispensing unit a first coupling means anda second coupling means are provided, the first coupling meanssurrounding the second coupling means. Within the first coupling meansat least one first gas passage opens, said first passage extending intoa chamber of the pressure regulating means, wherein between the firstand second coupling means at least one second passage opens, said secondpassage extending into said chamber.

Embodiments of the present invention shall be described, with referenceto the drawings, for elucidation of the invention. These embodimentsshould by no means be understood as limiting the scope of the inventionin any way or form. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 a is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of thedispensing unit according to the invention in its initial state;

FIGS. 1 b, 1 c and 1 d are a top plan view, a side view and a bottomplan view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1 a, respectively, in anunfolded state;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1 in itsinitial state;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1taken along the line A-A;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1taken along the line B-B;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1taken along the line C-C;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1taken along the line D-D;

FIG. 7 is perspective view of a dispensing device comprising thedispensing unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shown in FIG.7 taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2, with the operating lever being inits initial position;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along a the line D-D in FIG. 2, with the operating leverbeing in its initial position;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2, with the operating leverbeing in a first operating position;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line D-D of FIG. 2, with the operating leverbeing in the first operating position;

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line B-B of FIG. 2, with the operating leverbeing in the first operating position;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line D-D of FIG. 2, with the operating leverbeing in a second operating position;

FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line D-D of FIG. 2, showing a secondembodiment of the dispensing unit with the operating lever being in theinitial position;

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line D-D of FIG. 2, showing the secondembodiment of the dispensing unit with the operating lever being in itsfirst operational position;

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispensing device shownin FIG. 7 taken along the line D-D of FIG. 2, showing the secondembodiment of the dispensing unit with the operating lever being in itssecond operating position;

FIG. 17 schematically a dispensing unit according to the description,from a side facing the beverage container;

FIG. 18 schematically a third embodiment of a container unit;

FIG. 19 schematically a fourth embodiment of a container unit; and

FIG. 20 schematically a fifth embodiment of a container unit.

In this description by way of example container units and pressurisingunits, as well as methods are described with reference to carbonatedbeverages, especially beer.

In this description a pressure regulating means or pressure controldevice has to be understood as at least including a device or assemblyfor controlling pressure inside a beverage container, based on apressure prevailing in a first compartment comprising the beverage to bedispensed, by feeding gas from a high pressure propellant gas containeror second compartment. In this description embodiments are described inwhich the beverage container is made of plastic, for example blowmoulded, especially stretch blow moulded from a preform, in any suitablemanner, such as known in the art. However, similarly beverage containerscan be used made partly or entirely of metal. In the embodimentsdescribed and shown specifically, a gas container is described made ofplastic, for example PET or PEN or blends thereof, or anotherthermoplastic material. The gas container can be made by injectionmoulding and/or blow moulding, for example similar to blow moulding of abeverage container, and can have a basic shape of a blow mould performfor forming a bottle, and can also be made of PET, PEN or blends thereofor another thermoplastic material. However, such gas container can alsobe made differently and/or of different materials, for example metal.

In embodiments of the present invention an aspect can be that adispensing unit is used, comprising dispensing means and pressureregulating means, with which both a gas container comprising highpressure propellant gas and the beverage container can be closed.

In embodiments of the present disclosure an aspect of the presentinvention can be based on the idea that during dispensing, instead ofmaintaining a regulated constant pressure in the liquid container andcontrolling the flow rate of the liquid by controlling the flow area ofthe dispensing channel or dispensing outlet for the liquid, the flowarea of the dispensing channel or outlet is rather maintained at aconstant value, preferably at a maximum value, and the pressure in theliquid container is controlled within a predetermined pressure range soas to control the flow rate of the liquid being dispensed. This allowsto apply a relatively low pressure at dispensing for any kind of liquid,including both gaseous and non-gaseous beverages, while keeping thepossibility to adjust the flow rate of the liquid by simply adjusting oreven varying the desired pressure of the propellant gas in the liquidcontainer. A further advantage of this solution can be that bycontrolling the pressure prevailing in the liquid container duringdispensing, the flow path of the liquid from the liquid containerthrough the dispensing unit may be formed free of any obstacle of flow,thus allowing to avoid the development of undesired turbulences in theliquid during dispensing.

In a container unit according to the present disclosure a beveragecontainer 36 can be provided, with a body 50 and a neck portion 51,wherein at least the body portion 50 forms a first compartment forbeverage. A pressure control device 53 is provided, for pressurising abeverage in the beverage container 36, which pressure control device 53comprises or can be connected to a gas container 33 forming a secondcompartment for containing a propellant under pressure. A dispensingunit 10 can be provided in and/or on the neck portion 51 and the gascontainer 33 can be supported by the neck portion 51 and/or thedispensing unit 10, wherein pressure regulating means 54 of the pressurecontrol device 53 are provided in the dispensing unit 10. In general thepressure control device therefore comprises at least the pressureregulating means 54 and the gas container 33 or a connecting meanstherefore. The gas container 33 preferably extends at least partly inthe beverage container 36, preferably suspended in the neck portion 51of the container 36 and extending at least partly into the inner spacecomprised in the body portion 52. The dispensing unit 10 can close offboth the beverage container 36 and the gas container 33.

When the gas container 33 is injection moulded, it can have a gascontainer body portion 55 with a peripheral wall portion 56 which isradially expandable within the first compartment by the propellant gas,for example under internal gas pressure between 4 and 20 bar absolute.This can be advantageous in that it can secure the dispensing unit 10with the gas container 33 even better inside the beverage container 36.In embodiments the gas container 33 can be inserted into and at leastpartly through the neck portion 51 of the beverage container 36, whereinthe neck portion 51 encloses an upper part of the gas container 33,providing for a passage 57 for gas between an inner surface of the neckportion 51 and an outer portion of the gas container 33, whereinpreferably a dip tube 35 extends through said passage from the firstcompartment into the dispensing unit 10.

The dispensing unit 10 can comprise a first coupling means 40 and theneck portion 51 of the beverage container 36 can be provided with atleast one coupling means for coupling to the first coupling means 40,preferably sealingly. Similarly the dispensing unit 10 can have at leastone second coupling means 42 and the gas container 33 can have a neckportion comprising coupling means for cooperating with the secondcoupling means 42, preferably sealingly.

The beverage container can have a first, internal axial length, measuredbetween an outer end of the neck portion 51 and an opposite end of thebeverage container 36, and the gas container 33 can have a second, outeraxial length measured between the dispensing unit 10 to which the gascontainer 33 is attached and an opposite end of the gas container 33,wherein the first axial length is slightly larger than the second axiallength. Preferably the first axial length is between 1 and 1.2 times thesecond axial length, more preferably between 1 and 1.1 times the secondaxial length. This can provide for a relatively slim gas container,suitable to be inserted through the neck 51 or filling opening of abeverage container 36, having nevertheless a relatively large internalvolume. This enables storage of a sufficient amount of propellant gasinside the gas container 33.

The dispensing unit 10 can comprise at least one passage 30, 25 athrough the pressure regulating means 53 to the first compartment,forming part of a gas passage between the first compartment and thesecond compartment, i.e. between the inner space of the beveragecontainer 36 and the inner space of the gas container 33. The pressureregulating means 53 can further comprise at least one valve assembly foropening and closing said gas passage 30, 25 a, based on pressureprevailing in the first compartment.

In a dispensing unit 10 for a beverage container 36, a pressureregulating means 54 and dispensing means can be comprised, wherein at afirst side of the dispensing unit a first coupling means 40 and a secondcoupling means 42 are provided. The first coupling means can surroundthe second coupling means, which has to be understood as meaning atleast but not limited to surrounding seen in a view substantiallyperpendicular to said first side of the dispensing means, as for exampleshown specifically in FIG. 17. Within the second coupling means 42 atleast one first gas passage 25 a, which in all embodiments can also bereferred to as a gas inlet channel, opens, said first passage 25 aextending into a chamber 58 of the pressure regulating means 54, whichin all embodiments can be referred to as a pressure sensing chamber,wherein between the first 40 and second coupling means 42 at least onesecond passage 25 b opens, said second passage 25 b extending into saidchamber 58. The second passage can also be referred to in theembodiments disclosed as a gas outlet channel. A gas container 33 can bemounted to the second coupling means 42, which gas container 33 has anaxial length L_(gas) and extends within the second coupling means 41,seen in a direction of its axial length L_(gas), which can be understoodas meaning that seen in said axial direction, which can be substantiallyperpendicular to said first side of the dispensing unit, the gascontainer 33 has no part that extends beyond the first coupling means,as can be seen in FIG. 17.

A valve stem 23 can extend through the first channel 25 a and beconnected to or part of a movable and/or flexible wall part 22 of saidchamber 58, which valve stem 23 can close off and open the first passage25 a, for example by a widening 24 of the stem 23, depending at least ona position of said wall part 22 of the chamber 58. Embodiments thereofshall be further elucidated. The wall part 22 can for example be aflexible membrane 22, as for example disclosed in the embodiments ofFIGS. 1-16, or a piston, as is for example discloses as such inEP1064221 and referred to in the embodiment of FIG. 18. All combinationsthereof should also be considered having been disclosed herein.

In FIG. 1 a, a first preferred embodiment of the dispensing unit 10 isillustrated in a perspective view. Although the dispensing unit 10 inFIG. 1 is shown as a cap for a bottle, the dispensing unit may bedesigned in any other way, for example as a taping unit for a beer keg.The illustrated first embodiment of the dispensing unit 10 comprises alower mounting part 11 and an upper covering part 12. The lower mountingpart 11 and the upper covering part 12 are connected via a flexiblehinge 13. The upper covering part 12 comprises a pivotable operatinglever 14 used to control the flow rate of the liquid during dispensing.The operating lever 14 is provided with several once breakable joints 15for fixing the operating lever 14 to an adjacent portion of the uppercovering part 12. These joints 15 also have the function to demonstratethat the dispensing unit 10 has not been tampered with. Before the firstuse of the dispensing unit 10, these joints 15 are to be broken so thatthe operating lever 14 can be moved.

In FIGS. 1 a, 1 b an 1 c, the lower mounting part 11, the upper coveringpart 12, the operating lever 14 and the once breakable joint 15 of thedispensing unit 10 can be seen in different views of an unfolded state.In FIG. 1 d, a flexible dispensing tube 16 and a membrane 22 of apressure regulating means are also shown, although these elements arearranged inside the dispensing unit 10.

In FIG. 2, the dispensing unit 10 can be seen in a plan view using thesame reference numbers as in FIGS. 1 a to 1 d. This figure alsoindicates sectioning lines A-A, B-B, C-C and D-D along whichcross-sectional views are taken and illustrated in at least thefollowing FIGS. 3 to 6, in which the dispensing unit 10 is shown in itsinitial state, i.e. in the storage state, when the operating lever is inits initial position.

FIG. 3 illustrates the dispensing unit 10 in a cross-sectional viewtaken along the line A-A indicated in FIG. 2. Inside the dispensing unit10, a dispensing tube 16 is arranged under the operating lever 14. Thedispensing tube 16 is secured to the lower mounting part 11 andcomprises an opening 17 that establishes a fluid communication with theinternal space of the liquid container (not shown) to which thedispensing unit 10 is coupled. The dispensing tube 16 has an outer endportion 19 provided with an opening 19′ to allow the liquid to flow outfrom the liquid container during dispensing. In FIG. 3, the outer endportion 19 of the dispensing tube 16 is entirely compressed by aneccentric front projection 18 of the operating lever 14, whereby theflow path of the liquid is closed.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the upper covering part 12 of the dispensingunit 10 is secured to the lower mounting part 11, for example, by snapfitting between a downward projection 20 of the upper covering part 12and the rim 21 of a corresponding through-hole of the lower mountingpart 11 adapted to receive said projection 20.

The dispensing unit 10 also comprises a pressure regulating means 54 togenerate a constant regulated pressure for propellant gas in the liquidcontainer. The pressure regulating means can also be referred to aspressure control device 54. In the illustrated preferred embodiments ofthe dispensing unit 10, the pressure regulating means 54 comprises aresilient membrane 22, preferably made of rubber, a valve stem 23 joinedto a central portion of the membrane 22 at is one end, a valve head 24formed at the other end of the valve stem 23 and a fluid communicatingpath for the propellant gas, said fluid communicating path connectingthe internal space of the gas container 33 and the internal gas space ofthe liquid container 36 (partly also referred to as head space) throughthe pressure regulating means 54. In the illustrated embodiments of thedispensing unit 10, the fluid communicating path includes a first gaschannel 25 a in which the valve stem 23 is guided, and a second gaschannel 25 b or outlet channel (shown in FIG. 6) and the chamber 58. Theoperation of the pressure regulating means 54 of the dispensing unit 10will be described later. They form part of pressure control device 53.

As shown in FIG. 5, the operating lever 14 has two coaxial pivots 26 aand 26 b serving as a shaft for the operating lever 14 around which itcan be pivoted. On the lateral surface of the inner pivot 26 a, there isa stud 27 arranged extending into a guiding hole 29 (shown in FIG. 6) ofa slide 28. The slide 28 is guided so that it can move horizontallybetween two end positions defined by the two end positions of theoperating lever 14. When the operating lever 14 is pivoted, the stud 27,which is arranged eccentrically with respect to the rotational axis ofthe pivots 26 a, 26 b, moves along a circular path, thus forcing theslide 28 to move toward the central portion of the dispensing unit 10 orin the opposite direction, while the stud 27 moves up or down in theguiding hole 29. The slide is an embodiment of an operating device, orpart thereof.

As clearly shown in FIG. 6, the slide 28 partly covers the membrane 22,the extent of coverage depending on the position of the operating lever.Under the coverage area of the membrane 22, there is a third gas channel30 formed to connect the internal space of the gas container with thehead space of the liquid container through the pressure regulatingmeans, through a chamber 58. The slide 28 is formed so as to be capableof varying the area of an upper aperture 31 of the third gas channel 30,which is also an outlet channel, thereby adjusting the amount of thepropellant gas flowing from the gas container into the liquid container.By adjusting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the third gaschannel 30, the pressure of the propellant gas can be varied in theliquid container during dispensing. Since the pressure regulating means54 of pressure control device 53, as integrated in the dispensing unit10 is adapted to generate a predetermined pressure in the beveragecontainer 36, also referred to as liquid container 36, the variablepressure range has an upper limit defined by said preset pressure of thepressure regulating means 53. On the other hand, the lower limit valueof the variable pressure range can not decrease below the ambientpressure since the closure of the third gas channel 30 will terminatethe outflow of the liquid and also prevent the ambient air from enteringthe liquid container 36.

The mechanism including the operating lever, the slide, the thirdchannel and pressure regulating means can together constitute or atleast form part of a means for adjusting the flow rate of the propellantgas flowing from the gas container 33 into the liquid container 36, andcan be referred to as flow regulating means or operating device or partsthereof. By varying the flow area of the third gas channel 30 by saidmechanism, the pressure may be adjusted in the liquid container 36, andthereby the flow rate of the liquid may also be set during dispensing.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an assembled dispensing device orcontainer unit 70 comprising the liquid or beverage container 36(indicated by dashed line), for example, a bottle containing a beverage,for example a carbonated beverage such as beer, a gas container 33containing a propellant gas, for example carbon dioxide or nitrogen, ata high pressure, for example between 2 and 20, more preferably between 4and 14 bar, a dispensing unit, such as the dispensing unit 10 accordingto the present invention, and preferably a dip tube 35. The dispensingunit 10 is coupled to the liquid container 36 and the gas container 33in a gas-tight sealed manner. Although in FIG. 7, the gas container 33is shown inside the liquid container 36, the gas container 33 mayequally be arranged externally to the liquid container 36. The dip tube35 is arranged inside the liquid container 36 and connected to acorresponding dispensing channel of the dispensing unit 10.

In FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view of the dispensing device 70 shown inFIG. 7 is illustrated with the operating lever 14 of the dispensing unit10 being in its initial position. The cross-section is taken along theline A-A of FIG. 2. In the dispensing device 70, the operating lever 14,which can also e referred to as operating means of the dispensing unit,is in its initial position that is normally applied during storage ofthe dispensing device 70. In this case, the front projection 18 of theoperating lever 14 closes the outer end portion 19 of the dispensingtube 16, thereby preventing the dispensing of the liquid 32 from theliquid container 36. Due to the overpressure of the propellant gas 34prevailing in the head space of the liquid container 36, the dispensingtube 16 also contains liquid 32 under pressure. The liquid 32 can enterthe dispensing tube 16 through the opening 17 of the dispensing channel(not shown) formed within the dispensing unit 10.

In the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 9, an exemplary way ofcoupling the dispensing unit 10 to the liquid container 36 and the gascontainer 33 can be seen in more detail. According the presentinvention, the dispensing unit 10 has a first coupling means forcoupling to the liquid container 36. As illustrated in the embodimentshown in FIG. 9, the first coupling means may comprise a snap fittingportion 40 formed in the lower mounting part 11 of the dispensing unit10, said snap fitting portion 40 being adapted to be sealingly attachedto a corresponding coupling part of the liquid container 36. To thisend, the first coupling means may comprise an elastic sealing ring 38against which the corresponding coupling portion of the liquid container36 bears after mounting the dispensing unit 10 onto the liquid container36. Although in FIG. 9, only a preferred embodiment of said firstcoupling means is illustrated, the dispensing unit 10 may according tothe present invention be coupled to the liquid container 36 in otherways as well, for example by threaded fitting or gluing, theimplementation of which alternative coupling modes is obvious for thoseskilled in the art.

According the present invention, the dispensing unit 10 furthercomprises a second coupling means for coupling to the gas container 33.As illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the second couplingmeans may comprise a snap fitting portion 42 formed also in the lowermounting part 11 of the dispensing unit 10, said snap fitting portion 42being adapted to be sealingly attached to a corresponding coupling partof the gas container 33. It is preferred that the second coupling meanscomprises an elastic sealing ring 43 against which a correspondingcoupling portion of the gas container 33 bears after attaching the gascontainer 33 to the dispensing unit 10. Although in FIG. 9, only apreferred embodiment of said second coupling means is illustrated, thedispensing unit may be coupled to the gas container in other ways aswell, for example by threaded fitting or gluing, the implementation ofwhich alternative coupling modes is obvious for those skilled in theart.

As can be seen in FIG. 17 the first and second coupling means can bothbe substantially circular, provided in a first side 60 of the dispensingdevice 10. The first coupling means can surround the second couplingmeans, spaced apart there from, seen the view as presented in FIG. 17.This view is substantially perpendicular to the said side 60, or alongthe axis Lgas of the gas container 33. As can be seen in FIG. 17 thecontour 33A of the gas container 33 extends, in the view of FIG. 17,within the first coupling means. This provided for the possibility ofinserting the gas container 33 into the beverage container 36 via theneck portion 51, through the coupling means provided thereupon.

FIG. 9 shows the dispensing unit 10 in its storage state when theoperating lever (not shown) is in its initial position. The slide 28 isnow in its inner end position where it presses the whole coverage areaof the membrane 22 onto an upper surface of the lower mounting part 11,thereby entirely closing the upper aperture 31 of the third gas channel30. Under this condition, the membrane 22 takes the form like a dome,and the valve head 24 closes the lower aperture of the first gas channel25 a. The pressure of the propellant gas 34 acting to the bottom surfaceof the valve head 24 is compensated by the counteracting resilient forceof the elevated membrane 22. In the gas space 58 defined by the membrane22 and the upper surface of the lower mounting part 11 of the dispensingunit 10, the pressure is equal to the pressure of the gas container 33,and due to the fluid communication path between the gas container 33 andthe head space of the liquid container 36 through the second gas channel25 b, this pressure is also equal to the pressure prevailing in theliquid container 36, also referred to as a first pressure.

After finishing the dispensing of the liquid, the operating lever ismoved again into its initial position, resulting in the same arrangementof the parts within the dispensing unit as shown in FIG. 9. If thedispensing pressure was lower than said first pressure when thedispensing was terminated, the propellant gas tends to flow from the gascontainer 33 into the liquid container 36 through the second gas channel25 b until the first pressure is reached and set in the liquid container36 by the pressure regulating means of the dispensing unit 10.

In FIG. 10, the dispensing unit 10 can be seen with its operating lever14 being in a vertical position wherein the dispensing tube 16 is opento the maximum extent, i.e. the outer end portion 19 of the dispensingtube 16 presents the largest possible flow area for the liquid. In thiscase, however, the third gas channel (not shown) is still closed. Theliquid flows out from the liquid container 36 through the dispensingchannel (not shown), then via the opening 17 and finally through thedispensing tube 16. If a dip tube 35 is also used (as shown in FIG. 10),the liquid 32 is driven into the dispensing channel through the dip tube35. FIG. 11 shows the same state of the dispensing unit 10 as shown

FIG. 10. The pressure regulating means is still under the same conditionas described for the initial state of the dispensing unit 10, that is,the membrane 22 is elevated and the third gas channel 30 is closed. Inthe first preferred embodiment of the dispensing unit 10, this verticaloperating position of the operating lever 14 shown in FIGS. 10 to 12(also referred to as a first operating position) defines a boundaryposition between a first operating range of the operating lever 14 and asecond operating range thereof, wherein the first operating range isassociated with the control of the flow area of the dispensing channelor outlet for the liquid (i.e. the dispensing tube 16, in the firstembodiment), whereas the second operating range is associated with thecontrol of the flow area of the third gas channel 30 for the propellantgas. By continuing to pivot the operating lever 14 counter-clockwise inFIG. 11, the upper aperture 31 of the third gas channel 30 becomesgradually opened as the slide 28 moves toward the periphery of the lowermounting part 11.

As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of the dispensing deviceillustrated in FIG. 12, the dispensing channel 44 establishes a fluidcommunication path for the liquid 32 between the internal space of theliquid container 36 and the flexible tube 16. To the lower end of thedispensing channel 44, a dip tube 35 may optionally be connected.

In FIG. 13, the dispensing device 70 is shown in a partialcross-sectional view, wherein the operating lever 14 is moved to asecond operating position to at least partially open the upper aperture31 of the third gas channel 30. In the illustrated embodiment of thedispensing unit 10, this position of the operating lever 14 belongs tothe second operating range of the operating lever 14, wherein the flowrate of the liquid 32 is controlled during dispensing by controlling thepressure of the propellant gas 34 in the liquid container 36. The moredownward the operating lever 14 is pushed in the direction F indicatedby an arrow in FIG. 13, the larger area of the upper aperture 31 of thethird gas channel 30 is released by the displacement of the slide 28,thus causing the elevation of an increasing area of the coverage portionof the membrane 22 above the aperture 31. Hence, by varying the openedarea of the aperture 31, the amount of gas flowing from the gascontainer 33 into the liquid container 36 through the third gas channel30 and, consequently, the driving force for the liquid 32 may be varied.

In order to minimize or even entirely to terminate the gas flow throughthe second gas channel 25 b during dispensing, the second gas channel 25b is to be closed or alternatively, it is to be restricted so that asubstantial delay be presented at the generation of the first pressurein the liquid container 36 by the pressure regulating means. To thisend, in a first embodiment of the dispensing unit 10, the second gaschannel 25 b has a restricted section 25 c in which the gas flow rate,under normal operating conditions, is so small that only a negligibleamount of propellant gas can flow there through into the liquidcontainer 36 per time unit, and therefore the regulated first pressurecan be generated by the pressure regulating means within a relativelylong time with respect to the time period normally needed to dispensethe desired amount of liquid. For example, if the first regulatedpressure is 1.7-2 bars absolute, a diameter of approximately 100 μm forthe restricted section 25 c allows a regulation delay of approx. 5 to 15minutes, which is a much longer time than the usual duration of fillinga glass. After finishing the dispensing of the liquid, however, such adelay has no significance if the next dispensing action starts evenlater. Moreover, the regulated first pressure is in the liquid container36 is greater than the equilibrium pressure of the liquid 32 stored inthe liquid container 36, preferably only by a few tenths bar, thusproviding an appropriate long term storage pressure for the liquid inthe liquid container during storage.

On the other hand, the pressure regulating means 54 of the firstembodiment of the dispensing unit 10 also limits the maximum pressure ofthe pressure range associated with the second operating range of theoperating lever. When the third gas channel 30 is entirely opened, thepressure in the liquid container 36 increases quickly due to the largeflow are of the aperture 31, but the pressure can rise only up to thefirst pressure since the pressure regulating means 54 prevents thepressure of the head space of the liquid container 36 from increasingfurther. In fact, upon reaching the first pressure in the liquidcontainer 36, the valve head 24 will close the first gas channel 25 a,thereby blocking the flow of any more propellant gas 34 from the gascontainer 33 into the liquid container 36.

In FIG. 14, a partial cross-sectional view of a dispensing device 70′ isillustrated with a second embodiment of the dispensing unit 110according to the present invention. In this example, the operating lever114 (indicated by dashed line) of the dispensing unit 110 is in itsinitial position used for storage of the liquid container 136. Thissecond embodiment of the dispensing unit 110 comprises a common gasoutlet channel 130 providing the function of both the first gas outletchannel and the second gas outlet channel used in the first embodimentof the dispensing unit. In order to properly control the gas flowthrough this common gas channel 130, the slide 128 as operating deviceor part thereof, is designed to have a recess 129 on its bottom slidingsurface which allows the membrane 122 to have a local elevation 123above the upper aperture 131 of the common gas channel 130. Under thislocal elevation 123, a limited flow rate for the propellant gas 134 isallowed, thus providing a substantial delay in the development of thefirst pressure in the liquid container 136.

As can be seen in FIG. 15, which illustrates the second embodiment ofthe dispensing unit 110 with the operating lever 114 being in its firstoperating position, the slide 128 is moved to a position where itentirely closes the common gas channel 130. Similarly to the firstembodiment of the dispensing unit (but not shown in FIG. 15), in thisposition the operating lever 114 entirely opens the flexible dispensingtube of the dispensing unit 110.

FIG. 16 illustrates the further embodiment of the dispensing unit 110with the operating lever 114 being in a second operating position duringdispensing where the inner end portion of the slide 128 at least partlyopens the common gas channel 130 by allowing the main part of themembrane 122 to elevate above the upper aperture 131 of the common gaschannel 130. In the second operating range of the operating lever 114,the common gas channel 130 is used only for controlling the pressure ofthe propellant gas in the liquid container 136 and thus also the flowrate of the liquid being dispensed.

As this embodiment of the dispensing unit 110 has no separate gaschannel with a restricted section to feed propellant gas 134 from thegas container 133 into the liquid container 136, the relatively largeflow area of the common gas channel 130 allows a rather quickdevelopment of the regulated first pressure in the liquid container 136after finishing the dispensing of the liquid.

FIG. 18 shows an alternative embodiment of a beverage container 36,wherein the pressure regulating device 53 is suspended in the neck 51 ofthe container 36, part of the gas container 33 extending into the innerspace of the body 52 of the beverage container 36. In this embodimentthe pressure regulating device 53 is integrated with the dispensingdevice 10. The gas container 33 can rest on the free end 69 of the neck51 by a flange 61. The dispensing device 10 is mounted on the neck 51,for example by press fitting or click means 40, such that the dispensingdevice 10 is pressed against the flange 61, thus pressing the flange 61against the neck 51 and the gas container 33 is closed gas tightly.Suitable seals 38, 43 can be provided, if necessary.

A valve 62, for example an aerosol valve as described in EP1064221 isprovided in a bottom 71 of the dispensing device 10, forming aconnection between the inner space of the gas container 33 and the space58 above the bottom 71, below the wall part 22, at which other side apressure regulating chamber 63 is provided. The bottom 71 can be anintegral part of the dispensing unit 10 or can be a separate part, whichcan for example be provided on the flange 61, for example by clickmeans, gluing, welding, press fit or the like. At an opposite side ofthe space 58 a flexible wall part 22 of a pressure regulating means 54is provided, resting against the valve 62, forming part of the wall ofthe pressure regulating chamber 63. If the pressure in the space 58drops below a regulating pressure, the wall part 22 will be forced, bypressure in a pressure regulating chamber 63 above the wall 22, againstthe valve 62, opening the valve 62 and allowing gas to flow from the gascontainer 33 into the space 58. At least one passage 25 b is providedthrough the bottom 71 and the flange 61, into the inner space of thebeverage container 36. Thus pressure equilibrium will existsubstantially between the space 58 and the inner space of the beveragecontainer 36. When the pressure in the beverage container 36 is back atthe desired pressure, such as the equilibrium pressure, the wall part 22will be pushed back and the valve 62 will close. The pressure regulatingor control device 53 of all embodiments can be provided with a similararrangement of chambers 58 and 63 and the intermediate wall part 22 foropening and/or closing the inlet channel 25 a.

A dip tube 35 extends from the inner space of the beverage container 33past the gas container 33 and through the flange 61 into the dispensingdevice 10. A dispense tube 63 is connected to the dip tube 35 by a valve64, which in the embodiment shown can be a hose type valve, operatableby an arm 14 connected to an excentre 66. In FIG. 18 the valve 64 isshown in closed position. By moving the arm 14 in the direction of thearrow 67 the valve 64 is opened and beverage can be expelled from thebeverage container 36 through the dip tube 35 and the dispense tube 63.Pressure in the beverage container 36 will be regulated by the pressureregulating device 53, especially the means 54. Moving the arm 14 backthen the valve 64 is closed again. Clearly other types of valves 64 canbe provided, for example an in line valve. Other means for operating thevalve 64 can be provided. In other embodiments the valve 64 can bedispensed with, where the dispense tube can be provided with orconnected to a dispense unit or valve to cooperate with a valve unit ofa dispense unit, as for example described in EP1289874.

In FIG. 19 a further embodiment is shown of a beverage container 36, ofwhich only an upper portion is shown, comprising a neck 51, on which aunit 10 is provided. A gas container 33 is provided outside thecontainer 36, for example in a dent in the outer wall thereof, such thatthe longitudinal axis L_(gas) and L_(bottle) extend substantiallyparallel to each other. The gas container 33 is mounted in the unit 10,in any suitable manner, for example as disclosed before in the otherembodiments. Within the unit 10 a gas sensing chamber 58 and a gasregulating chamber 63 are again provided, as described before, separatedby a deformable and/or displaceable wall or wall part 22. A gas inletchannel 25 a extends from the gas container 33 into the pressure sensingchamber 58, through which a stem 23 extends, carrying a head 24 forclosing off the channel 25 a. The stem is connected to the wall part 22.In the unit 10 furthermore a dispense tube 16 is provided, extendingfrom a dip tube 35 to an outlet end 19. The tube 16 is at least partlyflexible, such that it can be closed by an excenter 66, as discussedwith reference to FIG. 18. A gas outlet channel 25 b, 30 extends fromthe gas sensing chamber 58 to the inner space of the beverage container36. This channel 25 b, 30 has a relatively large cross section,preferably sufficient to allow, when fully open, an amount of gas toflow from the gas container and/or the gas sensing chamber 58 into thebeverage container sufficient to restore substantially instantly adesired pressure inside the beverage container for dispensing beverage,during dispensing of the beverage at maximum flow. The channel 25 b, 30can have a cross section of for example half a square mm or more.

In the unit 10 an operating device 28 is provided, slidable in a channel80 extending substantially perpendicular to the channel 25 b, 30. Aspring 81 is provided between a bottom 82 of the channel 80 and thedevice 28, biasing the device 28 in a direction outward from the channel80. An opening 83 is provided in the device 28, substantiallyperpendicular to the direction of movement F, having a cross sectionsimilar to that of the channel 25 b, 30. In a first position, as shownin FIG. 19, the opening 83 will be open to the channel 25 b, 30 only fora small part, preferably a very small part, for example such that theremaining passage through the channel 25 b, 30 and opening 83 will bevery small, for example well below 0.5 square mm, such that in thisposition a limited flow is possible from the chamber 58 to the beveragecontainer 36, delaying pressure equilibrium during and/or after tappingbeverage. By pushing the device 28 towards the closed end of the channel80 the opening 83 will become more open to the channel 25 b, 30,allowing for a greater flow of gas and thus a faster pressure raise inthe beverage container 36.

FIG. 20 further discloses schematically an embodiment similar to theembodiment of e.g. FIG. 9, wherein the gas container 33 is however of adifferent shape. In this embodiment the gas container 33 is provided atan upper portion of the beverage container 36, and is for examplesubstantially ball shaped, donut shaped, dome shaped or the like, havinga cross section Dg substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axisL_(gas) and an axial length Z parallel to said axis L_(gas). Inembodiments the cross section Dg can be larger than an internal crosssection D_(neck) of the neck of the beverage container 36, such that thegas container 33 cannot be pulled out of the beverage container 36through the neck 51. In embodiments as disclosed a gas container 33 asshown in FIG. 21 can be used having a cross section Dg substantiallyequal to for example at least half of the internal cross section Db bodyof the beverage container 36, preferably at least ¾th of said crosssection Db and for example about the same cross section Db, such thatthe gas container 33 abuts the inside of the wall of the body and/or ofa shoulder portion of the beverage container, for example directly belowthe neck 51. In embodiments the length Z of the gas container 33 can beless than half of the axial length L of the beverage container 36,preferably less than ¼th of said axial length L, for example about ⅕thof said axial length. In embodiments the length Z is about minimal forproviding sufficient volume in said gas container 33 for holdingsufficient amounts of gas for dispensing the entire volume of beveragefrom the beverage container, at a desired maximum pressure of said gasin said gas container.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, for example with a gascontainer 33 as shown in FIG. 20, the gas container can be a plasticcontainer, which is injection moulded or otherwise formed as a preform,which is blown into a desired final shape at least partly within thebeverage container, after at least partial insertion of the gascontainer into the container in the said form of a preform. The preformcan be blow moulded at least partly prior to insertion into the beveragecontainer, or can be blow moulded completely inside the beveragecontainer. The blow moulding can be achieved at least partly by thepressure of the gas introduced into or formed inside the gas container33. Especially when, as will be described hereafter, dry ice is used forproviding at least part of the desired amount of pressure gas inside thegas container 33, this can be advantageous.

In embodiments of the present description the gas container 33 can beprovided in a top half portion of the beverage container 36 whenposition with the neck 51 or at least the dispensing unit 10 at a topthereof. Preferably the gas container 33 is provided about directlybelow the neck 51 and/or dispensing unit 10, in for example within anupper quart or upper fifth of the internal volume of the beveragecontainer 36. This means that the volume of beverage comprised with thebeverage container will be in the lower portion of the gas container,substantially or, preferably, about entirely below the gas container 33.This means that the centre of gravity G of the entire assembly,comprising the unit 10, the beverage container 36 with beverage and thegas container 33 will be shifted downward compared to its position whenthe gas container 33 is provided as shown in for example FIG. 9, havinga larger length and smaller cross section. This increases the stabilityof the assembly.

In an alternative embodiment the operating device 28 and the operatingmeans 14 for the beverage dispensing can again be integrated as shownbefore with for example reference to FIGS. 1-16, the gas container beingpositioned at least partly outside the container 36, as shown in FIG.19. Alternatively in all embodiments the gas container can be shapedand/or dimensioned differently and can for example be provided as acollar around the neck of the container, for example such that an outerside thereof will be about flush with or within the perimeter defined bythe body of the beverage container.

According to an aspect a method for providing a beverage container unitis described, wherein a beverage container 36 is filled with a beveragetrough a filling opening, for example a neck portion 51. A gas container33 is furthermore provided, comprising a predetermined amount of gas orgas generating means. This can for example be CO2 gas or dry ice, and ispredetermined such that a pressure is build up in the gas container wellabove the dispensing pressure for the beverage, for example well above 2bar, preferably above 4 bar absolute, such as for example but notlimited to between 4 and 15 bar. The gas container can be mounted in thedispensing opening or neck portion 51 such that it extends into andthrough the filling opening into the inner space of the beveragecontainer 36. This is preferably done after filling the beveragecontainer with the beverage. A dispensing unit 10 is provided,comprising pressure regulating means 54, which dispensing unit 10 ismounted in and/or over the filling opening and is connected to the gascontainer 33.

In an embodiment the dispensing unit 10 can for example be any one thepreviously disclosed embodiments. It can be mounted after filling of thebeverage container, wherein propellant gas under pressure is provided inthe gas container. In an embodiment the gas container 33 can be mountedto the dispensing unit 10 separate from the beverage container 36 andplaced on the beverage container 36 as one unit. Alternatively the gascontainer can be suspended in or on the beverage container 36, forexample but not limited to by said flange 61, where after the dispensingunit can be placed and coupled to the first and second coupling means.In such embodiment the gas can be fed into the gas container afterplacing in or on the beverage container 36.

In an aspect, the present invention also relates to a novel method ofdispensing a liquid under pressure from a liquid container in which theliquid is stored under pressure by a propellant gas at a first regulatedpressure. Preferably, in such method the first pressure exceeds theequilibrium pressure of the liquid, for example but not limited to by afew tenths bar. So as to provide the first regulated pressure in theliquid container, additional propellant gas is stored in a gas containerat a second pressure substantially higher than the first pressure. Thepropellant gas stored in the second gas container is also used forcontrolling the flow rate of the liquid during dispensing.

In a method according to the invention, the dispensing can started byreducing the first pressure of the liquid container to a third pressure,wherein the third pressure is at least the ambient pressure. Dependingon the design of the particular dispensing apparatus used fordispensing, the third pressure may be higher than the ambient pressure.After the overpressure of the liquid container is partly or whollyreleased, the dispensing path for the liquid is opened and the flow areaof the entire dispensing path is settled. Opening of the dispensing pathof the liquid may be carried out along an internal dispensing duct or ata dispensing outlet.

Finally, while keeping the settled flow area of the dispensing path forthe liquid unchanged, the pressure of the propellant gas in the liquidcontainer can be controlled within a pressure range defined by the firstpressure and the ambient pressure, thereby dispensing a first amount ofliquid. This first amount preferably corresponds to the entire dose ofthe liquid to be dispensed at one run. It is preferred that theoverpressure prevailing in the liquid container during dispensing doesnot exceed the ambient pressure by a few tenths bar, e.g. 0.1-0.2 bar,in order keep the flowing rate of the liquid at a rather low level andthereby not to allow excess frothing of the liquid.

Alternatively, the step of reducing the overpressure in the liquidcontainer and the step of opening and settling the flow area of thedispensing path for the liquid may be executed simultaneously. In thiscase a second amount of liquid may additionally be dispensed in thisstep, but this second dispensed amount of liquid preferably is verylimited. It is preferred that the second amount is smaller than 10 to15% of the entire amount of liquid to be dispensed in one dose.

During dispensing, the dispensing pressure of the propellant gas in theliquid container can in embodiments of the invention preferably becontrolled by controlling the flow rate of the propellant gas flowingfrom the gas container into the liquid container. For controlling thepressure in the liquid container during dispensing may, however, becarried out in other ways as well, for example by using an additionalgas supply, optionally an external gas container, to provide thenecessary amount of gas for this purpose.

Although in the foregoing, several preferred embodiments of thedispensing unit and the dispensing method according to the inventionhave been illustrated, the present invention is not in any way limitedto the exemplary embodiments shown in the description and the drawingsand many variations thereof are possible within the scope of theinvention defined by the attached claims.

In particular, the single operating lever of the dispensing unit may becarried out by providing two independent operating levers or otheroperating means for each operating range mentioned above, i.e. a firstoperating lever for controlling the flow area of the dispensing path forthe liquid and a second operating lever for controlling the flow are ofthe third gas channel (or the common gas channel) for the propellantgas. Moreover, instead of levers, any other kind of tool, such as a pushbutton, a rotatable knob, etc. may be used as an operating means forcontrolling the flow rate of the liquid. The slider element 28 can besimplified, for example be replaced by a resilient piece of plastic,which can be forced onto and/or from the membrane by the lever 14 foropening and/or closing the relevant channel(s), such as channel 30.

The pressure regulating means may also be designed differently from theexemplary pressure regulator described above with reference to thedrawings, while providing the same function of generating a regulatedfirst pressure in the liquid container. Such pressure regulating meansare well-known in the art.

The dispensing unit 10 could be designed to fit within a neck portion ofa beverage container, or could at least partly be integrated with abeverage container. The beverage container could be of a bag incontainer design, wherein the beverage can be contained within aflexible bag suspended in the beverage container, for example connectedto the dispensing device 10, surrounding the second mounting means,which can contain the gas container 33, wherein the second channel 25 b,30, 130 opens into a space between the bag and the beverage container.The dispense tube 64 or 19 can be elongated and extended well beyond theperiphery of the beverage container, and can be provided with an in linevalve or the like.

These and many other variants, including but not limited to allcombinations of parts of embodiments described and discussed, areconsidered to have been disclosed herein and fall within the scope ofthe present disclosure and/or claims as appending to this description.

1. Container unit for beverage, comprising a beverage container with abody and a neck portion, wherein at least the body portion forms a firstcompartment for beverage, wherein a pressure control device is provided,preferably at least partly in the beverage container, for pressurising abeverage in the beverage container, which pressure control devicecomprises a gas container forming a second compartment for containing apropellant under pressure, wherein a dispensing unit is provided inand/or on the neck portion and the gas container is supported by theneck portion and/or the dispensing unit, wherein pressure regulatingmeans are provided in the dispensing unit.
 2. Container unit accordingto claim 1, wherein the dispensing unit closes the beverage containerand the gas container.
 3. Container unit according to claim 1, whereinthe gas container is made of plastic, especially a thermoplasticplastic, more specifically PET or a PET blend.
 4. Container unitaccording to claim 3, wherein the gas container is injection moulded,wherein the gas container has a body portion with a peripheral wallportion which is radially expandable within the first compartment underinternal gas pressure between 4 and 20 bar absolute.
 5. Container unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the gas container can be inserted into andat least partly through the neck portion of the beverage container,wherein the neck portion encloses an upper part of the gas container,providing for a passage for gas between an inner surface of the neckportion and an outer portion of the gas container, wherein preferably adip tube extends through said passage from the first compartment intothe dispensing unit.
 6. Container unit according to claim 1, wherein thedispensing unit comprises a first coupling means and the neck portion ofthe beverage container is provided with at least one coupling means forcoupling to the first coupling means, preferably sealingly.
 7. Containerunit according to claim 1, wherein the gas container has a gas containerbody portion and a gas container neck portion, wherein the gas containerbody portion extends at least partly into the first compartment, whereinthe dispensing unit comprises at least one second coupling means and thegas container neck portion comprises coupling means for cooperating withthe second coupling means, preferably sealingly.
 8. Container unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the beverage container is a blow mouldedplastic container, preferably made from at least PET or a PET blend. 9.Container unit according to claim 1, wherein the beverage container hasa first, internal axial length, measured between an outer end of theneck portion and an opposite end of the beverage container, and the gascontainer has a second, outer axial length measured between thedispensing unit to which the gas container is attached and an oppositeend of the gas container, wherein the first axial length is slightlylarger than the second axial length, preferably between 1 and 1.2 timesthe second axial length, more preferably between 1 and 1.1 times thesecond axial length.
 10. Container unit according to claim 1, whereinthe dispensing unit comprises at least one passage from the pressureregulating means to the first compartment, forming part of a gas passagebetween the first compartment and the second compartment, wherein thepressure regulating means comprises at least one valve assembly foropening and closing said gas passage, based on pressure prevailing inthe first compartment.
 11. Dispensing unit for a beverage container,comprising a pressure regulating means and dispensing means, wherein ata first side of the dispensing unit a first coupling means and a secondcoupling means are provided, the first coupling means surrounding thesecond coupling means, wherein within the second coupling means at leastone first gas passage opens, said first passage extending into a chamberof the pressure regulating means, wherein between the first and secondcoupling means at least one second passage opens, said second passageextending into said chamber.
 12. Dispensing unit according to claim 11,wherein a gas container is mounted to the second coupling means, whichgas container has an axial length and extends within the first couplingmeans, seen in a direction of its axial length, wherein the gascontainer preferably is made of plastic, more preferably injectionmoulded and/or blow moulded and/or of PET or a PET blend.
 13. Dispensingunit according to claim 10, wherein a valve stem extends through thefirst channel and is connected to or part of a movable and/or flexiblewall part of said chamber, which valve stem can close off and open thefirst passage, depending at least on a position of said wall part of thechamber.
 14. Method for providing a beverage container unit, wherein abeverage container is filled with a beverage trough a filling opening,and a gas container is provided extending into and through the fillingopening, wherein a dispensing unit is provided, comprising a pressureregulating means, which dispensing unit is mounted in and/or over thefilling opening and is connected to the gas container.
 15. Methodaccording to claim 14, utilizing a dispensing unit for a beveragecontainer, comprising a pressure regulating means and dispensing means,wherein at a first side of the dispensing unit a first coupling meansand a second coupling means are provided, the first coupling meanssurrounding the second coupling means, wherein within the secondcoupling means at least one first gas passage opens, said first passageextending into a chamber of the pressure regulating means, whereinbetween the first and second coupling means at least one second passageopens, said second passage extending into said chamber, the dispensingunit being mounted after filling of the beverage container, whereinpropellant gas under pressure is provided in the gas container.